


Happy New Year?

by totallyrandom



Series: Melancholidays [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: College Student Stiles, Holidays, M/M, Melancholy, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Pack House, Underage Drinking, ennui
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 04:22:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5613781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyrandom/pseuds/totallyrandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Dude, sit or go back to the party. It’s creepy to just stand over me like that.” </p><p>Derek hesitates, half-turns away before deciding to sit. “Happy New Year?”</p><p>Stiles snorts. “Sure.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy New Year?

**Author's Note:**

> I had a migraine and couldn’t get this done in time. Alas.
> 
> Here’s a good song for New Year: Brian Gundersdorf (of [We’re About 9](http://www.circanine.com/listen.htm)), [“Starting Over”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip13CHfmphs)

Derek finds Stiles in a heap on the back deck, limbs splayed around him like a new foal. It somehow makes him look even younger than when they met that first night in the woods. 

“Dude, sit or go back to the party. It’s creepy to just stand over me like that.” 

Derek hesitates, half-turns away before deciding to sit. “Happy New Year?” 

Stiles snorts. “Sure.” 

“ … Want to talk about it?” 

Stiles raises an eyebrow at him. “Do _you_?”

They sigh in unison and that makes Stiles laugh at least. “Glad you’re enjoying your party so much.” 

“Not _my_ party. I came in from my run this morning and Lydia had the place half-decorated already.” 

“They didn’t even _ask_ if they could throw a party at your house? Nice one, guys.”

Derek shrugs. “It’s the pack house.” 

Stiles side-eyes him but doesn’t say anything. 

“It’s … fine. I’d rather have them here.” 

Stiles grins at that, and it makes Derek blush. “Finals week was so quiet. … It’s a big house when no one’s here.” 

“Not even Liam and Mason came by?” 

“They were finishing up college applications. Then holidays with their families.” 

“Hey. I don’t think I ever thanked you.”

“For what?” 

“For hosting Christmas. It was nice to have somewhere to be even after Dad and Melissa went on shift.” 

“More my speed than this.” 

“Yeah, mine too.” 

“Really?” Derek raises an eyebrow at that. “Surprised you’re not in there with a lampshade on your head.” 

Stiles huffs. “That _does_ sound like me.” 

“ … Are you ok?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m ok.”

Derek just looks at him, waiting for more. 

“I’m not _not-ok_ , anyway.” 

Derek leans into him and waits.

“I dunno. It was a weird semester. All these gen ed classes that I don’t care about. It’s hard to sit there and pay attention when it’s all so slow. And none of it seems important. I just want to get to the real classes already. But I have another semester of this crap first.” 

Derek hums. “Well, just think of it as prep for our bar trivia team.” 

“ … Bar trivia?” 

“Yeah, Carter’s started a trivia night on Tuesdays. $50 gift card to the winning team.” 

“Whoa. That’s a lot of tater tots.” 

Derek chuckles. “You really don’t like your classes?” 

“I thought it would be different. Harder. More interesting. But it’s just like _more high school_. High school with beer. Not gonna lie, the beer got me through first year ok. Now it’s just … I don’t know. I thought this is what I was waiting for, you know? All that ‘it gets better’ crap and everything. When? When does it get better?” 

“You haven’t had a non-self-inflicted injury in over a year.” 

Stiles pushes him away. 

“That doesn’t count as better?” 

“Yeah. I mean, I’m all for the hiatus in bloody terror. But, everything else just seems … dull. Muted. Like I’m waiting for … something. _Anything_.” 

“Something or someone?”

“Well, yeah, sex definitely made things less boring last year.” 

“ … Last year?” 

“Yeah, it’s been ages, dude.”

“Ages? Really, Stiles?” 

“Yeah, nothing since André was here training with Deaton over the summer.” 

“Why not?” 

Stiles sighs. “Regular people are _boring_. … And I always have to worry about saying shit around them. It’s not worth the effort.”

“Yeah.” Stiles turns to look at him. Derek tries not to squirm. “What?” 

“Is that why?” 

Derek doesn’t follow. “Why what?” 

“Look, either you don’t, uh, _date_ , or you do it when we’re not around. … Is that why?” 

“ … Not exactly.”

Stiles turns away. “Yeah. Sorry. None of my business.” 

“It’s fine. It’s not a … ” Derek sighs. “It wasn’t a conscious decision. After Kate. And _Jennifer_. … It was easy with Braeden but … ”

“ … But bounty hunters don’t pass through Beacon Hills very often?” 

Derek pushes his face away. “Idiot.” 

“Don’t you want, I don’t know, more than that? … A family?” 

“Pack _is_ family.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” 

"It's more family than I thought I'd ever have again."

Stiles smiles sadly at him. They sit quietly for awhile after that.

“ … I thought I’d love it, you know? College parties. Fuck buddies. Late-night philosophizing. I thought this would be the best time of my life and all that.” 

“It’s not?”

“God, _I fucking hope not_. If this is as good as it gets, what’s the fucking point?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t come home so much.” Derek says quietly, reluctantly. 

“ _What?_ ” 

“Maybe you don’t like school because you’re focusing too much on the pack. You’re here almost every weekend. Sometimes during the week. That’s a lot of back and forth. Do you even have time for friends there? … Friends who matter?”

“I … ” 

“Give it another try.”

“ … How?” 

Derek scratches at his beard. “I’ll make the whole pack come back one weekend a month. _Stay on campus_ the rest of the time.”

“And do _what_?” 

“Join something. Do something. Meet … people.” 

“Meet people.” 

“If you find … someone who matters … ” Derek swallows hard. “I’ll check them out. The Sheriff will run a background check.” 

“And?” 

“And we’ll see about telling them.” 

Stiles side-eyes him. “Seriously?” 

“Just don’t give up.” 

Stiles’s mouth turns down. “What about you?” 

“Your father is trying to get me to do some PI work.” 

Stiles laughs at that, lays his head on Derek’s shoulder. “Oh my _god_. That’s _perfect_. Holy fuck. _Professional_ lurker.” His laughter winds down and he rubs his face in Derek’s shoulder. “You are good with a camera, though.” 

Derek ducks his head. “Thanks.” 

“You should go in. Take pictures of the party before everyone leaves. Scott won’t think to and then he'll pout later.” 

Derek raises the camera and snaps a quick photo before Stiles can stop him. “What about you? Coming in?”

“Yeah, maybe when I can _see again_ , asshole.” Derek ruffles Stiles’s hair. “Go ahead. I’ll be in in a minute.” 

Derek hesitates but moves inside when he hears Kira say it’s time to turn on the tv.

When the countdown begins, Stiles runs in and drags Derek back outside. Derek goes along with it, just looks at him expectantly.

“Look, dude, I’m just gonna ask. And if it’s no, then we start the new year and it’s like in the past, right? New year. No big deal. But … I have to try. I have to … ”

Derek has no idea what’s happening. Maybe he isn’t cut out to be a PI after all.

At the count of 5, Stiles steps close and puts a hand over Derek’s heart. 4, slides his hand up to Derek’s neck. 3, cups his cheek. 2, leans in close enough that Derek feels Stiles’s breath on his lips. 1 … nothing. Oh.

Everyone starts yelling “Happy New Year” to each other as Derek closes the last inch and kisses Stiles. Finally.

**Author's Note:**

> OMG, I’m so addicted to the [Korean tv drama _Secret Garden_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1841321/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1). It’s got a kick-ass stunt woman and a stuck-up rich, young CEO and an aging K-Pop star. And there’s body-swapping. I’m sick, so I pretty much spent all NYE watching it on Hulu.


End file.
